Cold blooded Killer
by razzy101
Summary: Prompt: Written for a competition for the Skyrim Logic Facebook Page. Is the Dragonborn finally comfortable within his own fur fulfilling contracts for the Dark Brotherhood? Warning: May contain some dark themes.


**COLD BLOODED KILLER**

Throughout Koda's time in Skyrim nothing had given him a thrill like the Dark Brotherhood, the power of taking life from the weak exhilarated him. First it was just bandits that met their end by Koda's sword, and back then it was enough to satisfy his want for blood. Nowadays, the dragonborn much preferred the used of his claws over any weapon. Here Koda could be who he had always been deep down, a cold blooded predator singing as one with his natural Khajiit instincts.  
As of late, his contract was to assassinate some solitude woman at her own wedding, Koda didn't care much for names. For this contract he had to get creative, sick and perverse were his specialty, there was a reason Elsweyr hadn't wanted him. As Koda summed up the area ready for the big day tomorrow his mind drifted to a passing thought which humoured him. How could a man be both a saviour and a hero but also a person's worst nightmare? The large feline cackled, ' _Oh how conflicted they would be if they knew, especially the bards. Would they write songs of praise for my work defeating Alduin? Or do they warn the people of Skyrim that I am the Listener and agent of the Night Mother?'_ Shaking his head he continued to stash certain items in hidden but reachable places for tomorrow's kill.  
There was nothing like the moment where you held a person's life in your hands, a simple choice would either lead to that person's end or the continuation of their pathetic existence, as well as control over how long it took and how painful it was going to be. This idea left the dragonborn shivering with adrenaline and sadistic excitement. He watched his plan fall into place, the perfect plan, just as sadistic as the contractor had wanted meaning he was hopefully going to get a bonus and of course bragging rights in the guild. He crept through to the balcony where the happy couple were addressing their guests and planted a frenzy potion upon the husband, silently rolling off the balcony landing on his feet, he watched his work fall into place. The potion was something he had been crafting for some time, the cork containing the poison had a chemical compound in which allowed for the cork seal to be broken and the contents to pour into the man's pocket, then all that was required was for the liquid to touch his skin. Asgeir suddenly shrieked with a slight convulsion grabbing the attention of everyone present, Koda held his breath if the potion killed him before he had a chance to carry out his role the contract would be ruined and Koda's head would be on the chopping block. Breathing deeply in and out, blood pumping so hard that he could hear the blood rushing through his ears, his pupils dilated as he watched the scene playing out before him. Argeir drew his weapon, and thrust the blade through his newly wedded wife, she let out a gasp as the life began to drain from her, she fell limp to the ground followed by gasps and cries from the wedding guests. Koda joined in with them to keep his facade, but deep within him the feline predator purred with satisfaction. The guards carried off the insane widower, who had mortally wounded three of them in the process, just adding to Koda's delight. To prevent any suspicion Koda hung around talking with the guards promising to help with any investigations on why such a tragedy had occurred.

Riding comfortably back through the wilderness of Skyrim, Koda had a few days of travelling to return to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary in Falkreath. The dragonborn could afford to take it easy nowadays since no threat could match his prowess and skill, despite this the Khajiit was careful not to let it go to his head, "That's how people die. When they become too big for themselves. It's alright to be the big fish in the pond, but I just have to remember that it's the big fish that are often plucked from the pond by birds." Shaking his head once more he registered the surrounding blurring past him, the different greens, the sound of the wind rustling the leaves on the few sparse trees that littered this part of Skyrim.  
Koda reflected on how he had first joined the brotherhood and how he had managed to become the refined killer he was today. He had been doing a few jobs for the Thieves guild since the whole adventuring life didn't seem to be paying its way at the moment, when he had overheard during a heist in Windhelm about a dark child called Aventus Aretino, out of curiosity the dragonborn had ventured to the child's home, finding him practicing a ritual Koda now knew off by heart, the black sacrament. If Koda had known that killing Grelod the kind had been his entry into the Dark Brotherhood he would have killed her long ago, not that he had ever thought of it that way at the time. At the time, it had just been another way to afford putting food on the table. After receiving their trademark letter Koda had been thrown down a path in which he finally felt he belonged on. When Koda had been faced with the dilemma of which of the three people to kill in the abandoned shack, that had been when he had first recognised his instincts, the excitement of ending life, he hadn't been able to stop himself slashing at the bodies until they breathed no more. Astrid had been impressed with him telling him he needed to be more refined, but that would come in time. After his first few contracts Koda had felt fully comfortable within his own fur for the first time in his life. Throughout his life he had little care for people and their lives, for Koda the control was the part that got his blood pumping, being able to satisfy primitive instincts, going back to the beginning alongside his ancestors the feline felt truly at home.  
Lydia had been foolish enough to accompany him out of a sense of duty, she often told him he was a monster and that his behaviour was unnecessary, the foolish woman had survived long into their journey, upon reaching Ustengrav to retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, Lydia had been pinned by a giant frostbite spider. Instead of helping her, Koda had stood and watched feeling a thrill from watching the spider rip the life from her. After she was cast to the ground Koda has slain the arachnid, to his surprise finding that Lydia was still alive, barely and begged him to save her. The beast gnawed inside of him, his claws unsheathed themselves without his permission and his pupils dilated more in the dim light, he had knelt down beside the dying woman and whispered,  
"Why should I, no one will ever find you here nor will they ever suspect their precious dragonborn of being your murderer." He watched the realisation and horror dawn upon her face allowing the image to fill his memory he then took his claws to her jugular, her head turned to one side, eyes open and the light died from them leaving them lifeless like two large round glass orbs. As Koda progressed through the ruin he found he felt no remorse for her loss only relief, it did mean he had to carry all of his gear now, but no more would that stupid woman set off traps and run blindly into battle letting every enemy in the radius know where they were.

Upon returning to the sanctuary he was met by applause from his fellow assassins followed with many rounds of mead while Koda counted his coin. Astrid didn't seem as pleased as the khajiit had expected.  
"Slaughtering the Emperor's cousin? At her wedding? Those guards will be out for blood. Wouldn't surprise me if the crowd jumped in too. This is one of those contracts you'll be telling the future apprentices all about. And they will look up at you in awe, I tell you." Chuckled Nazir.  
"How did you think up such an idea? So twisted and sadistic." Questioned Veezara.  
Nazir butted in before Koda could answer,  
"What you did was shocking, cruel and pretty damn amazing."  
Koda dismissed them with his hand,  
"It was nothing. I'm sure any of you would have pulled off something far more amazing."  
Nazir and the others shook their heads,  
"No way, all of us live for the kill, we all seek that thrill, it's true every one of us have our own trade mark kill signature. But you, you're a cold blooded killer."


End file.
